Case Number 23061: Small Claims Court

ASTRON-6

The Charge

No Budget Thrills, Chills, and Kills!

The Case

Astron-6 is a troupe of Canadian filmmakers with an affection for lampooning
genre movies of the 1980s. Bringing together a smorgasbord of their work,
Astron-6 is one of the most unexpected delights of 2011. Amongst the
trailers, music videos, and animations included in this set is a series of short
films that manage to fit in a fully functional plot, and prove to be just as (if
not more) entertaining than the "classics" they are satirizing.

Clearly the Astron-6 team is a smart bunch, as there is more going on here
than a few cheap laughs at the expense of some oft-forgotten B-movies. Instead,
what we have here is an affectionate, though still biting, and amazingly
accurate reflection of what it is that made many of us fall in love with the sex
comedies, Italian splatter, and violent crime movies of the eighties. This
collection includes eighteen examples of Astron-6's work spread across two
discs.

Disc 1 * "Cool Guys" -- Three dorks try their hand at
reinventing themselves as "cool guys," in an attempt to woo the girls
down at the beach.

* "H.I.Z. (Erection Der Zombie)" -- A virus developed by
scientists working for the U.S. military has a deadly effect on the genitalia of
horny teenagers at Camp Ena.

* "Punch Out" -- A coming-of-age story revolving around several
characters over a three-day period.

* "You're Dead" -- A violent revenge thriller set on the streets
of Winnipeg.

* "Insanophenia" -- A pair of dimwitted exterminators are thrust
headfirst into an unimaginable nightmare.

* "Sebastian and Alan" -- The disturbing tale of two road-weary
travelers and their interaction with a female hitchhiker.

* "Krissmiss" -- Worried about your single dad this Christmas?
Well, this commercial may have just the thing for you.

* "Heart of Karl" -- The hideously disfigured Karl must face up to
life on his own, when his brother reveals he can no longer take care of him.

* "Goreblade" -- Action series based on the exploits of the
sword-wielding hero, Goreblade.

What is immediately striking is just how authentic the aesthetic is for each
of these shorts. "Laser Ghosts 2" could easily be a mid-eighties
action movie, with an obvious influence from The Terminator being evident
in the choice of shot being used. This level of authenticity is also evident in
the brilliant soundtrack each film has, as well as the title sequences; perhaps
best of all is the dialogue, which really sells these films. "Fireman"
could easily be mistaken for a genuine eighties horror, just as "Cool
Guys" feels like a truncated version of a teen sex comedy from the same
decade.

The works of Fulci and Romero are lovingly spoofed in "Inferno of the
Dead," and "H.I.Z.: Erection Der Zombie." Meanwhile,
"Goreblade" riffs on shows like Xena Warrior Princess as well
as Japanese action serials. However, Astron-6 is at its best when it
subverts the viewers expectations, and goes to places you wouldn't expect in a
million years. In this respect, "Punch Out" is notable for its
blending of John Hughes movies (The Breakfast Club) with Fight
Club. Where "H.I.Z." sees the group have fun with the familiar
conventions of the zombie movie, "Inferno of the Dead" takes the genre
into new territory, offering a whole new interpretation of a zombie
nightmare.

The gang reaches a whole new level of brilliance with "Ena Lake
Blues," a silent-era slasher movie.

Though humor runs through much of the work here, a couple of the shorts
(most notably "Heart of Karl" and "Sebastian and Alan") are
extremely dark, bordering on disturbing. "Heart of Karl" impresses in
particular due to the adventurous blend of techniques used, and the undeniably
thick atmosphere that makes up for any narrative failings the film may suffer
from. In sharp contrast, "Nobodies" is not only a fun comedy, but also
surprisingly charming.

There's a good selection of special features packed into this two-disc
set.

Also included, under a separate menu, are a promo video and photo gallery
for Father's Day, and a trailer and behind-the-scenes look at
Manborg, the group's first full-length feature. Infamous movie director
Uwe Boll turns up to "praise" Astron-6. "Karl" is a short
film, shot using the stop-motion technique, and combines animation with live
action. "Addiction to Murder" is also included, and is a short film
made prior to the formation of Astron-6.

Picture quality varies considerably from film to film, due to the varying
styles being used. A title like "You're Dead" has been given the
damaged look of a grindhouse picture, as seen in Robert Rodriguez's Planet
Terror. As such, the picture quality of the DVD offers a fine representation
of the intended look for each film. The Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack is
manipulated in a similar way.

Prior to the DVD arriving in the mail, I had no idea who or what
Astron-6 was, but having seen this DVD collection of their work, I
implore those with a love for genre cinema to check this out immediately.